Portable stock-chute.



PATENTED MAR. 3, 1.908.

A. HOPPER. PORTABLE STOCK CHUTE. APPLICATION FILED JULY a1. 1901.

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No. 880,665. APATENTED MAR. 3, 1908.

' A. HOPPER.

PORTABLE STOCK CHUTE.

APPLIoATIoN rILED JULY 31, 1907.

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PORTABLE STOCK CHUTE.'

APPLICATION FILED JULY s1. 1907.

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AMOS HOPPER, OF ORION, ILLINOIS.

PORTABLE STOCK-CHUTE. l

Specification of Letters. Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed July 3l. 1907. Serial No. 386.444.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, AMos HOPPER, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Orion, in

the county of Henry and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Portable 'Stock-Chute, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to portable stock chutes and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to provide a stock chute which may be moved from place to place and which consists of a body mounted upon wheels with means for raising or lowering either or both ends of the said body. A cradle is mounted upon the body and is also connected with means mounted upon the body whereby either end of the said cradle may be raised or lowered. One end of the said cradle is closed by a sliding gate while the opposite end is closed by swinging doors mounted upon the body. A swinging sill is also mounted upon a body and is located below the doors and may be so tilted as to form a gang-way between the cradle and a wagon or car upon which the stock is to be loaded. The doors may be opened out over the said sill and when so positioned serve as side rails for the gang-way. The parts ofthe chute are so arranged that the cradle may be lowered into close proximity with the ground when the animals are driven into the chute and then the body of the chute and the cradle may be elevated as desired in order to bring the floor of the cradle at substantially the same level as the floor of the wagon or the car upon which the stock is to be loaded.

1n the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation of the chute with the parts thereof in lowered positions. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chute with the parts thereof in elevated positions, and Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the chute.

The chute consists of the body 1 upon the rear portions of the sides of which is mounted the guides 2. The blocks 3 are arranged to move vertically in the guides 2 and each block is provided with a ground wheel 4. The tackles 5 are attached at their rear ends to the rear portions of the body 1 and pass over pulleys 6 mounted upon the upper ends of the block 3. The said tackles then pass under the pulleys 7 journaled upon the sides of the body 1 and then pass to a hoisting apparatus mounted upon the body f1 and which will be hereinafter described. The guides 8 are mounted at the forward end Lof the body 1 and the blocks 9 are slidably mounted in the guides 8. The caster wheels 10 are pivotally mounted inthe blocks 9 and the yokes 11 of .the wheels 10 are provided with the forwardly extending arms 12. The cross lbar 13 is pivoted at its ends 'to the 'forward portions of the arms 12 and is .provided with a detachable tongue 14. The tackles 15 are attached at their forward ends to the forward portions of the body 1 and pass over the pulleys 16 journaled upon the block 9 and under the pulleys 17 journaled upon the body 1 and then extend to the hoisting means hereinafter to be explained. The lower portion of the forward end of the body 1 is closed by a panel 18 and the sill 19 is hinged to the body 1 in the vicinity of the upper edge of the panel 18.

The longitudinally extensible braces 2O are pivotally attached at their upper ends to the body 1 and the sill 19 and are composed of the sections 21 and 22 which are adapted to telescope at their adjacent ends and which are provided with set screws 23 or other securing means whereby they may be fixed with relation to each other. The vertically disposed rods 24 are fixed at their lower ends to the upper edge of the panel 18, and the doors 25 are provided with eyes 26 which receive the rods 24, thus, the said doors are hingedly mounted upon the body 1 and may also be moved vertically along the rods 24 with relation to the body 1. The said doors 25 may be swung into alinement with each other when they will close the forward end of the body 1 or they may be swung into parallel relation over the sill 19 when they will form side rails of a gang-way of which the said sill will form the floor,

The cradle 27 is loosely mounted in the body 1. The rear end of the cradle is closed by means of a sliding gate 28 which operates in the guides 29. The forward end of the said cradle is closed by the panel 18 and the doors 25. The tackles 30 are attached at their ends to the upper forward portions of the body 1 and descend and pass under the pulleys 31 journaled at the lower portion of the forward end of the cradle 27. The said tackles then pass up and over the pulleys 82 journaled at the upper forward end of the body 1 and then extend to the hoisting apparatus hereinafter to be explained. The

tackles 33 are secured at their ends to the upper rear portion of the body 1 and descend and pass under pulleys 34 journaled at the lower rear end of the cradle 27. and pass over pulleys 35 journaled at the upper rear end of the body7 1 and extend through the hoisting apparatus presently to be explained.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that a portable stock chute is provided and that by paying out the tackles 5, 15, 30 and 33 the body 1 and the cradle 27 may be lowered into close proximity to the ground. The gate 28 may then be removed and stock may then be driven into the cradle 27. After the said cradle is loaded the gate 28 may be replaced in position upon the same and the chute may be transported or moved' into position against a wagon body or a stock car and by drawing in on the several tackles named the body 1 and the cradle 27 may be elevated so that the said cradle may have its floor at the same level as the platform of the car or wagon when the doors 25 may be opened and gang-way is established over the sill 19 into the said wagon or car. It will also be observed that the opposite ends of the body 1 and the cradle 27 may be raised or lowered independently of each other and thus it is possible to so pitch the cradle 27 at an incline as to force stubborn stock into the body of the receiving vehicle. rThe blocks 9 have suflicient play in the guides 8 to permit of the opposite ends of the body 1 to move relative to each other vertically without binding. By means of the longitudinally extensible braces 20 the sill 19 maybe so perched as to rest upon the platform of the receiving wagon or car.

The hoisting means above alluded to is mounted upon one of the sides of the body 1 and consists of a frame 36 between which and the side of the body 1 is journaled the shafts 37 and 38. The drums 39 and 40 are loosely mounted upon the shaft 37. The tackles 5 wind u on and unwind from the drum 39, while t e tackles 33 wind upon and unwind from the drum 40. The drums 41 and 42 are loosely mounted upon the shaft 38 and the tackles 15 wind upon and unwind from the drum 41 while the tackles 30 wind upon and unwind from the drum 42. The drums 39, 40, 41 and 42 are provided with clutch hubs 43 and a clutch member 44 is mounted upon each of the shafts 37 and 38 and each said member is feathered to rotate with its sup porting shaft but may move longitudinally thereof in order to engage the drums alter nately or to be disengaged from both of the drums mounted upon the same shaft. The levers 45 are provided for moving the clutch members 44 longitudinally. The clutch members 44 are provided with gear teeth 46. The shaft 47 is journaled between the shafts 37 and 38 and is provided with a gear wheel 48 which is in mesh with the gear teeth 46 of both of the clutch members 44. rlhe shaft 49 is ournaled above the shaft 47 and is provided with a small gear wheel 50 which meshes with the gear wheel48'. The ends of the shafts 37, 38,47 and 49 are squared and are adapted to enter a non-circular opening 51 in a detachable crank handle 52, whereby, any one of the said shafts, or a combination of shafts may be rotated. Each of the drums 39, 40, 41 and 42 is provided with a pawl 53 which, when in engagement with its respective drum prevents reverse rotation of the same. It is, therefore, obvious, that by manipulating the clutch members 44 the drums 39, 40, 41 and 42 may be rotated as desired in order to draw in the tackles 5, 15, 30 and 33 to raise the body 1 and the cradle 27 or either end of the said body or the said cradle. The shaft. 47 is provided which, when rotated, rotates the shafts 37 and 38 simultaneously, and the shaft 49 is provided with a reduced gear, whereby, the shaft 47 may be rotated with but slight manual exertion.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is 1. A stock chute comprising a body, means for raising or lowering the same, a cradle located in the body, and means for raising or lowering the same with relation to the body.

2. A stock chute comprising a body, separate means for raising or lowering either end of the same, a cradle located in the body and means for raising or lowering the cradle with relation to the body.

3. A stock chute comprising a body, means for raising or lowering the same, a cradlelocated in the body and separate means for raising or lowering either end of the cradle with relation to the body.

4. A stock chute comprising a wheelmounted body and separate means for raising and lowering either end of the same.

5. Astock chute comprising a body supports for the same and a hoisting means located upon the body and being connected vith the supports for raising or lowering the 6. A stock chute comprising a body, supports for the same, separate hoisting means located on the body and being connected with the supports for raising or lowering either end of the body.

7. A stock chute comprising a body, wheels supporting the rear end thereof, caster wheels supporting the forward end thereof, means connecting the caster wheels together and means for raising and lowering the body with relation to said wheels.

8. A stock chute comprising a body, wheels supporting the rear end thereof, caster wheels supporting the forward end thereof, means connecting the caster wheels together, and means for raising or lowering either end of the body with relation to:y the supporting Wheels.

9. A stock chute comprising a body, guides located at the opposite ends of the sides thereof, blocks slidably engaging said guides, Wheels journaled to said blocks, and means for sliding the blocks in the guides.

l0. A stock chute comprising a body, guides located at the opposite ends of the sides thereof, blocks slidably mounted in said guides, wheels ournaled to said blocks and separate means for independently sliding the blocks in the guides at the opposite ends of the chute. y Y

11. A stock chute comprising a body, 15 separate means for raising or lowering either end ofthe same and a sill hinged to the body. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

AMOS HOPPER. Witnesses:

N. A. EKSTADT, A. L, LOVE. 

